1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method to operate an electronic controlled internal combustion engine to provide enhanced fault code administration responsive to driving cycle.
The present invention further relates to a method of administering fault codes in an electronic control internal combustion engine that activates a warning indicator when a fault code is logged, and resets the warning indicator if the fault corrects itself is serviced, or in response to an initiation of a new drive cycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Denz, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,958 disclose a method for detecting and documenting exhaust gas relevant malfunctions of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine in the fuel tank utilizing on board diagnosis. In the method, malfunctions are detected utilizing a sensor device and the malfunctions are evaluated in a circuit unit with the malfunctions including those malfunctions which are based on an empty tank. The fault announcements of the malfunctions are stored in a memory in dependence upon a pre-given number of drive cycles. A fuel level value indicative of the level of fuel in the fuel tank is determined and stored in the memory. Fault announcements of the malfunctions are outputted and stored in the memory in dependence upon the fuel level value thereby eliminating fault announcements of the malfunction based on an empty tank.
Irons, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,150 disclose a fault recognition system implemented as an adjunct to fault determination software of an on board engine control module (ECM). The ECM activates a “Type A” or “Type B” fault code for each signal received from a plurality of sensors disposed about the engine when that signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. A “Type C” fault is recognized and activated when all of a predetermined group of underlying “Type A” or “Type B” fault codes have been activated. The “Type C” fault is displayed, while the underlying faults may or may not be displayed. The “Type C” fault provides a better and more immediate indication of the source of the engine problem than any of the underlying faults. Only those underlying faults that aid in the recognition of the source of the underlying “Type C” fault are masked. When the “Type C” fault becomes inactive, any underlying fault codes are unmasked for subsequent evaluation. To avoid false positives or negatives, all of the underlying faults must be activated for a predetermined period before the “Type C” fault will be activated. Likewise, before the “Type C” fault is de-activated, at least one of the underlying faults must be inactive for a predetermined period.
Uchida, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,947 disclose a vehicle on board device having characteristics capable of being changed communicates with a vehicle to set a characteristic value to an optimum value. Parameters for setting conditions of an electronic device are called out of an E2 PROM of the vehicle, and are transmitted to a technology center via a dealer, and an information center. Each dealer, the information center, and the technology center accumulate the parameters. The technology center can collect the parameters of numerous vehicles and characteristic values for electronic control of each of the vehicles and can calculate newest and optimum parameters. The technology center transmits this newest and optimum vehicle information to the vehicle, and each vehicle updates the parameters thereof to these newest and optimum parameters. Accordingly, the parameters of the vehicle are set as the newest parameters.